FLYERS DOUBLE OIL CAPITALS ON HOME ICE – JANUARY 5

Flyers’ goaltender Britt League made 35 saves on 37 shots as the Winkler Flyers doubled up the Virden Oil Capitals 4-2 on Saturday night, increasing their winning streak to four games. The Flyers’ timely goal scoring and perfect penalty-kill were the story of the game as Winkler’s defense helped them earn another important two points.

Playing on home ice for the second straight night, the Flyers looked to build on their win over the Dauphin Kings on Friday. After winning the first two meetings of the season, the Flyers had come out on the wrong end of their last three games against Virden.

The first period was a very back and forth 20 minutes of hockey with both teams getting their chances. The Flyers managed to hit the scoreboard first with 4:36 left in the period when rookie defenseman Drake Burgin carried the puck down the ice and beat Virden goaltender Dalton Dosch from a sharp angle for his sixth of the season.

After the Oil Caps’ tied the game just over a minute later, the Flyers regained their lead just nine seconds after that when Griffin Leonard spotted Brody Moffatt in the slot and the Flyers’ assistant captain scored his 12th of the season and third in his last three games to put Winkler back in front 2-1.

Early in the second period, the Flyers added to their lead on the power-play when Garrett Kuklica and Brody Moffatt assisted on Collin Caulfield’s second of the season. Then with just under seven minutes left in the middle frame, Jesse Korytko found the back of the net against his former team and the Flyers had a 4-1 lead. Eric Fawkes and Raihan Kheraj assisted on Korytko’s 11th of the season and third in his last four games.

Just moments after failing to score on a full two minute, 5-on-3 power-play, Virden cut Winkler’s lead to 4-2 with 3:07 left before the second intermission.

The rest of the game belonged to Britt League and the Winkler defense as they held off the Oil Capitals offense and killed off another two minute, 5-on-3 Virden power-play late in regulation on their way to a 4-2 victory.

Britt League had a great game between the pipes for Winkler as the Oil Caps out shot the Flyers 37-33. Winkler went 1-for-4 on the power-play and 5-for-5 on the penalty-kill.

The Flyers, who have their first four game winning streak since the middle of October, will travel to Selkirk on Tuesday, January 8th to face the Steelers. Puck drop at the Selkirk Recreation Complex is 7:30pm with Matt Friesen’s pregame show on Country 88 and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 7:25pm. The Flyers are now three points ahead of the 9th place Wayway Wolverines in the MJHL Standings and are three points behind the Winnipeg Blues and Dauphin Kings who are tied for 6th place. Winkler has games in hand on both the Kings and the Blues.